Blog Archives
Rangers head into All-Star Break looking to continue win streak against the Flyers
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
- New York Rangers (31-16-1, 63 PTS) vs Philadelphia Flyers (23-19-6, 52 PTS)
- The Rangers won on Monday night, a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings despite being outshot 38-17. Brandon Pirri, Matt Puempel and Mats Zuccarello all scored goals and Henrik Lundqvist won his third straight start, making 36 saves and playing extremely well.
- The Flyers won in overtime to the Islanders in their last game, snapping a three game losing streak. Claude Giroux scored the game winner and the Flyers also got goals from Ivan Provorov and Wayne Simmonds. Steve Mason made 36 saves in the win. The Flyers are one point behind the Maple Leafs for the final Wild Card spot.
The King Conquers The Kings: Lundqvist turns in third straight excellent performance
Marc Weissman
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
Ever since he gave up 7 goals against the Dallas Stars a week ago, Lundqvist has gone from being Bronx cheered to Manhattan chanted as the Garden crowd showered Hank with throngs of “HEN-RIK!…HEN-RIK!” chants throughout the game. Hank and the much-improved Ranger defense have now given up only 2 goals or fewer in 3 straight games. This after yielding 4 goals or more in the prior 4 games. Quite a turnaround indeed.
It was evident from the get-go that Lundqvist needed to be – make that would be – rock solid in his second start of back-to-backs as the Kings came storming out of the Zamboni gate like a team on a mission. The irony is, LA sits in the non-playoff #10 spot in the Western Conference. Yet they were the ones who registered the first nine shots of the game before the EC 4th seed Rangers even mustered one. Amidst his team’s typical slow start, Lundqvist gobbled up everything thrown his way, played the angles with precision, used his lightning reflexes to their fullest and aggressively challenged crease and non-crease invaders alike. Read the rest of this entry
BREAKING: Kevin Hayes to miss 2-3 weeks, but his absence presents big opportunity for Vesey
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
This afternoon it was revealed that center Kevin Hayes will miss the next two or three weeks after an MRI revealed a lower body injury, according to the official New York Rangers Twitter.
The injury occurred in the second period of yesterday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. Newsday’s Steve Zipay tweeted afterwards that he saw Hayes limping with a brace on his left leg.
This is a pretty big blow to the Rangers’ lineup. Hayes filled in remarkably well for Mika Zibanejad and is an integral part of the depth that has been a main reason for the Rangers success. Hayes is third on the team in scoring with 35 points (13-22-35), and was previously on pace for a 61 point season. Read the rest of this entry
Rangers aim to push winning streak to three against the Kings; Lundqvist back in net
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of MSG Photos.
After an overtime win on the road against Detroit, the Rangers (30-16-1) are back at home to take on the Los Angeles Kings (22-20-4), closing out a back-to-back series and aiming for their third straight win.
The Rangers picked up their league-leading 17th road win of the season with a 1-0 overtime win against the Red Wings, with JT Miller scoring the only goal of the game. Henrik Lundqvist made 21 saves for his second shutout of the season, marking his 20th win of the year and making him the first goalie in NHL history to start his career with 12 straight 20 win seasons.
The Kings have not fared as well lately, and this season, dealing with some injuries, a struggling offense and inconsistencies. They’ve lost their last three games and are three points out of a playoff spot. This is the second game of a five game road trip, and they play nine of their next 10 games on the road. Read the rest of this entry
Miller gives the Rangers overtime win in Detroit; Lundqvist picks up shutout and more records
Bobby Bevilacqua
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
It was a slow game with not a lot of action, but the Rangers (30-16-1) picked up a shutout overtime win on the road against the Detroit Red Wings thanks to another game winning goal from JT Miller and a strong effort from Henrik Lundqvist.
The teams combined for a total of 40 shots through almost 62 minutes of play, but neither team was able to keep up sustained pressure for large portions of the game. The Red Wings had their best chances in the first period, but Thomas Vanek hit the post and Henrik Lundqvist made a nice glove save on Anthony Mantha. The other prime opportunity for Detroit came in the third period, where Henrik Zetterberg hit Lundqvist’s mask with his shot in the slot.
In overtime, the Rangers capitalized on a Red Wing falling in the neutral zone, giving Mats Zuccarello and JT Miller a two-man breakaway. It’s worth noting that Brady Skjei started the play with an outstanding breakout and pass off of the boards. Zuccarello faked a shot, froze Jared Coreau and passed it off to Miller for his 16th goal of the season and his fifth game winning goal. Read the rest of this entry
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